Napo National Vice Chair Tony Perkins reports from the TUC conference on rising workplace violence and abuse, highlighting the risks facing probation staff and the urgent need for safer systems, proper staffing and stronger reporting.
I attended the Violence and abuse at work conference organised by the TUC recently on behalf of Napo members.
This was an opportunity to gain further perspectives from other unions about how to address the growth of violence and abuse in the workplace.
Following the incidents in Preston and Oxford there was a need to understand collectively how other central and local representatives from the Trade Union and Labour movement are trying to tackle this growing issue.
The conference focused on a number of themes:
- The rising threat of violence and abuse across all public facing sectors
- The Legal position for workers when experiencing violence and abuse in the workplace.
- The need for greater emphasis on reporting violence and abuse on RIDDOR
In the conference we learned that everyday throughout the country workers across all sectors are being threatened, assaulted, racially abused, sexually harassed and intimidated, for simply doing their job.
A recent TUC Survey showed there has been an unprecedented rise in violence and abuse across the UK.
1 in 3 workers in public facing roles reported experienced, violence, threats or abuse last year.
Violence and abuse in the workplace are not isolated incidents and can occur anywhere regardless of where you work, because no worker is immune.
The cause of violence and abuse in the workplace come from three categories: unsafe systems of work, unsafe staffing and unsafe buildings,
Unsafe systems of work: Poor risk assessments, inadequate control measures, and weak reporting systems
Unsafe staffing: Understaffing and workload pressure
Unsafe buildings: Poor buildings, a lack of security, inadequate layouts, no safe exits, and a lack of alarms.
These features were all evident after the Preston and Oxford incident. High workloads, chronic understaffing, and relentless pressure. which increases the likelihood of conflict and aggression in the workplace.
These have been and continue to be common issues for Napo members in our probation offices, approved premises, court buildings and on our unpaid work sites.
It is not part of the job.
A resounding message which came from the conference was regardless of your role, violence and abuse it is not part of the job.
We heard accounts from workers who told how they were discouraged from reporting violence and abuse because of the fear of reprisals or accusations of reputational damage.
And with the number of incidents recorded this is now becoming a real problem, and is a workplace hazard which should be treated as such.
We must not separate violence and abuse from any other hazard that we may face in the workplace and it should be treated like any other hazard.
As health and safety Reps we were told in the conference that work related violence and abuse must be assessed, controlled, monitored, and prevented.
Legal duties of the Employer
Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 employers must ensure staff safety as far as is reasonably practicable
They have a duty of care to ensure that safety is maintained as far as reasonably practicable.
The Management of Health and safety at Work Regulations 1996 also state that employers have a duty to consider the risks to workers {including the risk of foreseeable violence} assess the risks.
The failure to control violence is a breach of that statutory duty.
Section 44 of the Employment Act 1996
There is also section 44 which gives workers the right to remove themselves from violence or abuse at work when they believe that there is serious or imminent danger and protects them from any detriment for doing so.
This applies directly to threats, assaults, intimidation, unsafe staffing, or unsafe environments.
Staff in many of our probation offices, courts and approved premises have to deal with chronic understaffing, unmanageable workloads with insufficient time to conduct risk assessments. People on probation are presented with delays to appointments, and the consequential frustration and anger present the likelihood of violence and abuse becoming an everyday occurrence.
One of the biggest barriers to tackling violence and abuse in the workplace is underreporting. This is why we want Napo members to continue to raise any health and safety concerns on Sphera.
Report it.
It is crucial that we encourage and ensure all our members are encouraged to use work related violence reporting. For Probation this is Sphera
If something happens speak to a line manager, to a colleague and record it on Sphera
Because violence and abuse must not be considered part of the job
Because of the impact that violence has on all Napo members, report your incidents on Sphera.
Every incident is a warning sign; every ignored incident is a breach of duty.
A safe working place is a human right not a luxury.
Napo members must be able to leave their workplace and go home feeling safe, respected, and unharmed.
Safer Systems of Working
Another message to come out of the conference was that health and safety legislation was not going far enough to address the problem.
Work related. Violence and abuse should also be reportable on RIDDOR.
We are all too aware of the causes of violence and abuse in the workplace and the impact this has across all sectors not just our Napo members in the probation community, however we cannot deal with this problem piecemeal.
Safety probation pilots
The safety pilot measures alone on which we are regularly engaging with senior management, will not in themselves properly address violence and abuse in the workplace.
These safety pilots have been introduced into seven areas and subject to the environment in each site they include:
- The introduction of security guards
- Knife arches
- Electronic hand held wands
- Through vision technology
- Body worn camera video surveillance
- Personal non-physical safety training
These have yet to be proven as being suitable everywhere across probation, if at all, and will provide little comfort to members who are struggling to undertake their work due to the incessant pressures of trying to assist increasing numbers of clients.
The most effective response should be workload reduction, increased staffing, and the provision of risk information essential to help guarantee genuine safety and not just security hardware.
The cuts to public services from years of government mismanagement which decimated the probation service, have culminated in the understaffing, and extreme workloads. A 50% cut in funding for the Health and Safety executive since 2015 has meant that there are now insufficient numbers of staff to carry out inspections.
Napo members now function daily within a service that has been transformed from its once ‘gold standard’ of providing rehabilitation through intervention and engagement, to one where punitive and enforcement measures drive target demand.
A safe working place is a human right not a luxury.
To address violence and abuse in the workplace we need:
- Proper staffing levels to meet demand.
- Proper training for staff and the right levels of support
- Better and safer systems of Working and reporting.
These all require control measures to provide risk assessments, and reporting mechanisms where staff have the time to monitor and assess high risk situations.
Above all, there must be zero tolerance of complacency when lives are at risk.
One Response
It’s astounding that only now Probation offices are being piloted for additional security measures. Job centres and court have had security staff for many years. Now we have a third serious incident at an Approved Premises this week. Building layouts are not fit for purpose. many are old with security having been an after thought. They do not take into account accessibility for staff either. e.g I am unable to use the high risk secure room as I need to use the lift which takes me to the public area. It is unreasonable for staff to be expected to respond to panic alarm situations. We are not trained for this. Again we need security staff on all sites
Will it take a death for proper change?